HAND IN HAND

Marriage is so funny at times. Its a knee slapper I tell ya. At times it has you feeling as if you are the next Martha Stewart  because of the killer dinner you worked so hard to accomplish (as for myself accomplish as in not burning or undercooking it). You know what I mean, unstoppable. Or as if you were pulling an Anne Hathaway, timid to take on the roll of Queen, but then totally captivating and astonishing the people of Genovia. Or, of course, sometimes it can leave you in tears and make you cry. The dinners won't always be perfect. The dishes won't always be put away. There will always be times where we don't agree. However, we are working at it together. Hand in hand, side by side, you need me and I need you, teammates.  

 Expect marriage to make you laugh, make you feel so comforted, and to leave you loving unconditionally. Expect to receive all that you are putting into it. 

 Expect marriage to not alway be easy, to hurt, to have bumps in the road, and expect that you can do it anyway. Expect it all to be worth it. 

After all, marriage is straight up magic.

"Husbands and wives work side by side, in the most important work we do. The very work that we do in our own home... successful marriages love each other with complete devotion."-

this talk, from LDS general conference.

LOVE

(not sure who this quote is by)

One of my favorite things from looking back at mine and Kevin's wedding was reading all of the sweet cards from family and loved ones. As I was cleaning out the back closet I stumbled upon the cards. I had forgotten about the note a kind friend of mine and Kevin's that had this quote in it.

I hope you love it nearly as much as I do. 

Love is the greatest thing. Our hearts, young or old hold so much of it.

*and as a lot of you may know, google reader is going to be no more. HERE you can find me on bloglovin'!

THE RED ROCK OF SOUTHERN UTAH

^ I didn't hesitate for the slightest second when I got up close and personal to take this picture, until Kevin yelled, "Elsha that thing is going to buck ya off the cliff!."^

*all images taken on the iPhone (one of the many reasons why Im a huge fan)

Kevin and I packed our bags and headed down south for the weekend. Utahans really are lucky when it comes to scenery. It blows my mind seeing all of the amazing red rock. Im pretty sure St. George and Mars are close siblings, dontcha think? ;) This was my first time doing Zions and the hikes, I still cant believe I managed to go to Southern Utah University without ever going. Holy Smokes, it was so beautiful and the hikes were so amazing! If you have never been, I highly suggest the Angels Landing hike.

When Kevin and I started dating and had gotten past the "Tell me about yourself" stage, we were soon talking about the siblings and relatives. Come to find out, our grandparents live down the street from each other and are card night buddies/ ward pals! It's funny how small of a world it really is!

 Over the weekend Kevin had family staying down in St. George as well so it resulted in lots of sand volleyball and sunburns. Ouch, St. George! The weekend was full of yummy food, family, the sunny heat, hiking, and just each other.

Now school, be nice to me these last few weeks. please.

FIVE THINGS: BRAD & HAILEY

Guys! Meet Brad and Hailey! Hailey blogs over at Something Devine! If you know Hailey, you know that she is made of everything sweet and has the funnest personality. Her and her husband Brad are videographers, and make the cutest and most amazing videos around. I have been following Hailey on insta for a while now. (which never disappoints) So, when she announced that she had started a blog it was more than smiles over here. Check it out! It will not disappoint, fair warning though... don't spend too much time watching their adorable videos ;). If you do, its understandable. It totally happens to the best of us. Here are five things about Hailey and Brad! Enjoy!

Hailey:
1. She grew up wearing headgear (only at night alright?) and lived behind a video camera.
2. She LOVES salt. Give this girl something savory over sweet any day.
3. She is known for falling asleep in the middle of movies.
4.  She's 21 years old and still wears makeup from the grocery store, and struggles to walk in high heels.
5. If she could travel anywhere in the world, it would still be Disney Land. She gets happy tears every time she rides 'Indaina Jones'.

Brad:
1. He is a hugger, even if you're meeting him for the first time! Perhaps that is why babies love him so much. I(Hailey) call him the 'Baby Whisperer'.
2. He has the best luck with board games, he always wins-even if its his first time!
3. He becomes a really good dancer when he is behind a pair of sunglasses, even indoors!
4. He grew up half of his life in the UK, and half of it here in the USA... to show for it, his accent sounds "Britican".
5. If he were stranded on an island, he would be okay as long as he had his skateboard, Cholula Sauce, and a box of Orange Hi-C.

Thanks Hailey for stopping by! 

ON THE LAKE

Woah Utah! 46 degree weather! Is this real life? You have been kind to us these past couple of days. This freezin to the bone winter you've dumped upon us had made this beautiful weather feel like a glorious day off the shore of Oahu. So, from the bottom of my heart I thank you.

There are a few things I love more than a sunny day, so of course today was filled with just that. I couldn't remember the last time I had gone fishing (or even at all for that matter) so today was the perfect day to give it a whirl. I'm not the biggest fan of catfish, which supposedly thats what most of Utah Lake is consumed of, so my intensions were not to eat the fish. "FISH ARE FRIENDS NOT FOOD." Who am I kidding, this girl is a sucker for sushi. Pretty sure there wasn't even a little nibble from a fish the whole afternoon, but I was perfectly ok with it.

I haven't always been a huge lover of Utah like I am today. However, it isn't so much that I'm in love with Utah rather more of in love with where ever I am at. Kevin has taught me that there is so much beauty no matter where we are at in the world. Whether it be in Pocatello Idaho, Reno Nevada, or even in the middle of timbucktwo, this world is so amazing. I love exploring and being in it, especially with the greatest explorer around, Kevin.

As for you Utah, thank you heaps and heaps for the sunny day(s)! 

GOIN HAM ON THE GRAM

Do you ever look back at your instagram feed and reminisce? Or look at a picture that feels like you posted it yesterday yet again it says that it was posted 22 weeks ago? HOLY SMOKES time just stop, or if that is too hard then just slow down! phew! I have fears, you have fears, we all have fears. Some of mine are silly, and some are more serious. I gawk at how other people can face them with such ease and carelessness.  The greatest fear of them all for me though is something that I have absolutely no control over. Something that everyone wishes that they had more of, could buy, or could erase and go back on. That fear would be time.

Time seems to pass by so quickly. Some of the time wasted worrying about work, school, the house being clean, dinner, groceries, the weekend activities, upcoming events and much more. When in reality we forget to enjoy the time that we are currently in. So, here is to enjoying the past and the future, but most importantly the present.

Check out the winners of the Awful Waffle giveaway HERE
PS here are some instagrammers I couldnt live without ;)

@kylieturley

@heyceebee

@heatherzweig

@jalenetaylor

@janisroseanne

What are some of your faves?